Rate My Professor Ghazala Saleem

Ghazala Saleem, EdD, MS, OTR/L, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science at the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions, a position she has held since January 2020. As Director of the Brain Function and Recovery Lab, she leads research initiatives focused on neurological recovery. Her academic background includes an EdD in Biobehavioral Sciences with a focus on Neuromotor Learning and Control from Teachers College, Columbia University (2016), an MS in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (2010), and a BS in Psychology (summa cum laude, minor in Biology) from Missouri Western State University (2006). Previously, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Brain Injury Research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute (2017-2019) and a postdoctoral clinical research training program in Epidemiology and Clinical Trials at Harvard Medical School (2018). Her professional experience encompasses roles as Senior Occupational Therapist for the New York City Department of Education (2012-2017), Clinical Instructor in Occupational Therapy at Columbia University (2011-2012), and Occupational Therapist in neurorehabilitation at North Shore University Hospital (2010-2011).

Saleem's research specializations include neuromotor and physiological mechanisms underlying brain injuries in medically and socially vulnerable populations, such as survivors of intimate partner violence, individuals with concussions, and those with mild cognitive impairment. She utilizes neuroimaging, virtual reality, cognitive-motor behavioral assessments, psychometrics, and neuromodulatory interventions like transcranial direct current stimulation to develop objective detection methods and cost-effective treatments. Notable publications are "A blended neurostimulation protocol to delineate cortico-muscular and spino-muscular dynamics following neuroplastic adaptation" (Frontiers in Neurology, 2023, co-authored with Stefanovic et al.), "Prevalence and Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Physical Violence-Related Acquired Brain Injury Among Visitors to Justice Center in New York" (The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2022), "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Pediatric Motor Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" (Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2018), and "Thirty-Second Single-Leg Task Identified Impaired Postural Control in Children after Concussion" (The Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 2021). Among her awards are the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Complementary and Integrative Rehabilitation Medicine Fellowship Award (2021), ACRM Brain Injury Special Interest Group Scholarship Award (2021), and the American Occupational Therapy Association Young Outstanding Scientist Award (2017). She has secured funding as PI or co-I for projects from the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Science Foundation, and UBMD CTSI, advancing clinical trials and large-scale data research in rehabilitation science.